Time Variance Authority Headquarters
Null-Time Zone
Ravonna Renslayer knew something was wrong the moment the doors to the Situation Room slid open.
The TVA was never truly quiet. Even at the best of times there was always a background rhythm to the organization—a constant flow of analysts discussing branching timelines, the distant ringing of temporal alerts, the clatter of keyboards and paperwork, the low murmur of thousands of employees maintaining the Sacred Timeline. Today, however, that rhythm had been replaced by something else.
Silence.
Renslayer stepped forward, her eyes immediately sweeping across the gathered personnel. Mobius M. Mobius stood near the center of the room with his hands resting on his hips, staring upward. Hunter B-15 stood nearby with her arms folded tightly across her chest. Casey occupied a workstation several rows back, pale-faced and visibly nervous as streams of temporal data rolled across his monitor. Around them, dozens of analysts sat frozen in place, their attention fixed upon the large oval-shaped monitor hanging from the ceiling.
"What is going on?" she asked sharply.
Casey visibly swallowed before turning halfway toward her.
"We're... we're not sure, ma'am."
Frowning, she looked up at the monitor.
The Sacred Timeline stretched across the display in all its familiar brilliance. It appeared normal at first glance. No branching timelines extended outward. No yellow divergence lines were racing toward the red threshold markers on either side of the display. No Nexus alerts flashed across the system.
And yet something was clearly wrong.
As she watched, the massive white line suddenly flickered.
For the briefest fraction of a second, another thin, minuscule timeline—running perfectly parallel—appeared directly beside it.
Then it vanished, glitching back into the original as though it had never existed.
A moment later it happened again.
The Sacred Timeline flickered.
A second line emerged.
Then disappeared.
Concern settled into Renslayer's expression.
"What's happening?"
Mobius never took his eyes off the display.
"What you just saw was Universe 623, and for some reason, it's going all out of whack."
Almost as if responding to his words, the timeline glitched again overhead.
Renslayer folded her arms.
"How long has it been doing this?"
"About 12 minutes."
Twelve minutes.
By TVA standards, that was an eternity.
Most temporal anomalies were identified and corrected within moments of occurring. The fact that something had been behaving unpredictably for twelve uninterrupted minutes without explanation was deeply unsettling.
"Do we have any idea why?"
Casey looked up from his terminal.
"We are working on it."
"Work faster."
The analyst immediately turned back toward his screen.
Renslayer shifted her attention toward B-15 and Mobius.
Hunter B-15 remained focused on the display overhead. Her expression had grown increasingly troubled the longer she observed the anomaly.
"It doesn't appear to be a simple Nexus event."
The timeline flickered again.
B-15 stared at it for several moments before slowly shaking her head.
"I have never seen anything like it."
Neither had Ravonna, and that troubled her.
"Well, whatever is causing this, we're just going to have to go out there and prune it," she said firmly.
"Except we can't."
Mobius finally looked away from the monitor.
He gestured upward.
"Look at it."
The timeline glitched once more.
"Do you see any yellow branches heading for the red lines? Do you see any origin points?"
Renslayer remained silent.
"Because there aren't any."
Mobius looked back toward the display as Universe 623 briefly split away from the Sacred Timeline once more before merging back into it.
He slowly shook his head.
"This is unexplored territory. We have no idea what's going on out there."
The room fell silent again.
Then a cheerful voice suddenly echoed through the room.
"Oh dear."
The holographic clock form of Miss Minutes, the TVA mascot, appeared in midair. She looked at Renslayer and said:
"Apologies, ma'am. I know you're busy, but the Time-Keepers would like a word with you."
Renslayer exchanged a brief look with Mobius. Neither needed to say what they were both thinking.
That wasn't a good sign.
"I'll be right there."
"Thank ya kindly."
Miss Minutes vanished.
Renslayer stared at the monitor one final time, where Universe 623 continued to glitch without explanation.
"Keep working on this."
Mobius gave a short nod.
Renslayer turned and departed.
---
Several minutes later she stepped out of a heavily secured golden lift buried deep within the TVA complex.
Renslayer paused briefly, straightening her uniform and smoothing away any hint of tension from her expression before continuing forward.
The chamber beyond was enormous.
Every time she entered it, she found herself reminded less of a government office and more of a cathedral constructed for gods. Vast pillars disappeared into darkness high overhead. Thick mist drifted continuously across the floor. The architecture itself seemed deliberately designed to inspire awe and humility in anyone who entered.
At the far end of the chamber rose a colossal elevated platform.
Built into the wall behind it stood three enormous thrones.
Upon those thrones sat the Time-Keepers.
Towering figures whose immense forms dwarfed everyone around them.
Elite TVA Minutemen stood guard beneath them, motionless and silent.
Renslayer approached and bowed her head.
"Greetings, revered Time-Keepers."
The central figure leaned forward slightly.
Its voice rolled through the chamber like distant thunder.
"Judge Renslayer. Have you determined the cause of the anomalous behaviour of 623?"
"Not yet. But we're doing everything we can to—"
"Clearly not."
The interruption came from the Time-Keeper seated on the left.
Its tone carried obvious displeasure.
"Otherwise you wouldn't have come here empty-handed."
Renslayer remained silent.
The Time-Keeper on the right spoke next.
"Drop everything else. Divert all resources to investigating this anomaly."
Renslayer hesitated.
"But what about the variant that's been hunting our minutemen?"
The central Time-Keeper answered immediately.
"Leave them be...for now."
Its immense eyes remained fixed upon her.
"In time, they will stand before us and answer for their crimes. But this strange occurrence—it takes precedence."
The Time-Keeper on the left leaned forward.
"Use whatever means necessary to find the cause of this incident, and make sure it never happens again."
The figure on the right spoke last.
"You haven't failed us yet, Ravonna Renslayer. Do not start now."
The warning settled heavily over the chamber.
For a brief moment, genuine trepidation stirred within her.
She concealed it immediately.
"Understood."
The audience was clearly over.
Renslayer bowed once more before turning and departing.
The mist swallowed her retreating footsteps as she disappeared toward the lift.
---
Far beyond the TVA.
Far beyond conventional space and time.
Within the Citadel at the End of Time, a lone man sat behind a desk overlooking eternity itself.
Victor Timely.
Though these days he preferred another name.
He Who Remains.
Through the eyes of the Time-Keeper androids, Victor silently watched Ravonna Renslayer depart the chamber. Only after she vanished from view did he redirect his attention elsewhere.
His gaze settled upon the TemPad resting atop his desk.
Universe 623 continued to flicker across the display.
Victor frowned.
Outside the immense windows of the Citadel stretched one of the most extraordinary sights in existence. Vast streams of temporal energy circled the asteroid upon which the Citadel stood. The glowing ring illuminated the darkness like a cosmic halo, radiating power accumulated across countless timelines.
Normally Victor found the sight reassuring.
Today he barely noticed it.
His attention remained fixed upon the malfunctioning timeline.
He didn't understand.
What was happening?
Why was 623 acting like this?
It was obvious that changes were occurring somewhere within the universe. The timeline itself was practically screaming that fact.
But what changes?
When?
And by whom?
Following the conclusion of the Multiversal War, Victor had spent untold ages constructing a system designed to prevent another catastrophe. He had isolated a carefully selected collection of realities from the wider multiverse. Every one of those realities followed the same baseline framework. Every one eventually produced him—and only him.
No hostile variants.
No new Multiversal War.
Maintaining that arrangement required extraordinary control.
Over countless ages Victor had written an unimaginably detailed script governing the lives of entire universes.
The Sacred Timeline.
Every major event.
Every important decision.
Every critical divergence.
All accounted for.
All monitored.
All controlled.
The TVA existed to enforce that script.
For eons the system had functioned flawlessly.
Any meaningful deviation was immediately detected and corrected.
Yet now, for the first time since the system's creation, Victor was watching it fail.
Victor manipulated the TemPad manually, searching once more for the origin point of the disturbance.
Minutes passed.
Eventually a small groan of frustration escaped him.
"Miss Minutes."
The AI appeared instantly.
"Yes, sir?"
Victor continued staring at the display.
"Monitor the situation closely."
"Of course, sir."
"Whatever this anomaly is, and more importantly, whatever is causing it, I want to be informed as soon as there is any progress."
"Understood," she replied brightly. "I won't let you down, sir."
Victor rose from his chair and walked toward the window.
Looking out upon the glowing temporal ring beyond the Citadel, he folded his hands behind his back.
"I know you won't."
---
Unbeknownst to Victor or anyone within the TVA, there was actually a rather simple reason why nobody could accurately detect Benjamin Carter's presence in Universe 623.
Nexus events were troublesome because they introduced unexpected variables into a system built entirely around prediction. They complicated future outcomes. They made calculations more difficult.
But they remained manageable because they originated from within the system itself.
Benjamin was not merely a variable within the equation.
He was an entirely new equation.
He did not originate from Universe 623.
Nor from any Marvel reality.
Nor from any timeline Victor Timely had ever observed.
Benjamin existed entirely outside the framework upon which the Sacred Timeline had been constructed.
His past did not exist within TVA records.
His future did not exist within TVA calculations.
His very existence represented information the system had never been designed to process because its creator had never imagined such a possibility.
As brilliant as Victor Timely was, his understanding possessed one critical limitation.
He believed the Marvel Multiverse was all that existed.
He had never conceived of a wider omniverse beyond it.
Never imagined visitors arriving from entirely separate cosmological structures.
Never imagined an outsider stepping into his carefully controlled realities carrying experiences, knowledge, and possibilities that had never existed anywhere within his system.
And because of that oversight, the Sacred Timeline's predictive architecture was beginning to fail.
Universe 623 appeared to glitch because the system could no longer accurately model its future.
The moment Benjamin Carter arrived, certainty vanished.
The future became opaque.
Unpredictable.
Unknown.
The system would eventually adapt to the changes he had made already.
But as time went on, every life Benjamin altered would create further consequences.
Those consequences would bring further more changes.
Those changes would produce even greater uncertainty.
And as the ripples spread throughout history, the burden placed upon the Sacred Timeline would continue growing larger and larger.
Of course, neither Victor Timely nor anyone within the TVA understood that yet.
But ignorance had never once halted the passage of time.
And time, as always, continued marching steadily toward a future that was becoming far more interesting than anyone could possibly imagine.
---
9:27 AM, 31st March 1999
The Bloomsbury Hotel, London
Consciousness returned to Pietro Maximoff slowly.
At first there was only warmth. The mattress beneath him felt impossibly soft compared to the thin, worn bed he was accustomed to. The air carried a faint scent of fresh linen and polished wood. Somewhere nearby, he could hear the distant murmur of city traffic muffled behind thick walls.
Then memory came crashing back.
Explosions.
Their apartment collapsing around them.
Wanda.
Pietro's eyes snapped open.
He bolted upright so quickly that the blanket tangled around his legs. His heart hammered violently against his ribs as panic surged through him. For several terrifying seconds he could not understand what he was seeing. The room around him was completely unfamiliar. Cream-colored walls. Expensive furniture. Tall windows hidden behind heavy curtains. Nothing about it made sense.
His breathing became ragged.
He looked around wildly.
Then he saw Wanda.
She lay asleep beside him beneath the blanket, curled slightly on her side. Her chest rose and fell steadily.
Relief hit him so suddenly that he nearly slumped back onto the mattress.
She was alive.
Thank God.
For several moments he simply sat there, forcing himself to breathe while his racing heart slowly calmed. Only after he was certain that Wanda was safe did he begin properly examining their surroundings.
The room was enormous.
Far larger than any bedroom he had ever seen outside of television. The furniture looked expensive enough that he was almost afraid to touch it. A pair of elegant double doors stood closed near one wall. Sunlight filtered faintly through gaps in the curtains.
None of it made any sense.
Pietro turned back toward his sister and gently shook her shoulder.
"Wanda."
No response.
He shook her again.
"Wanda."
Still nothing.
The third time he called her name, her eyelids fluttered.
"Wanda."
This time she stirred.
Her eyes opened slowly, still heavy with sleep. For a moment she simply stared at him in confusion.
Then recognition struck.
"Pietro!"
She sat upright and threw her arms around him.
"You are awake!" she exclaimed. "I was so worried!"
She pulled back just enough to cup his face in both hands.
Pietro blinked in surprise as she examined him closely.
Her gaze immediately settled on his forehead.
"Are you okay?" she asked anxiously. "Does your head hurt?"
Pietro frowned.
"No. Why would my head hurt?"
The question seemed to catch her off guard.
Still confused, he shook his head.
"Are you okay?"
Wanda nodded immediately.
Pietro relaxed slightly.
Then his attention drifted back toward the unfamiliar room around them.
"Where are we?"
His brow furrowed.
"Last thing I remember is we were watching TV and then..."
His voice faltered.
The memories returned all at once.
"...the explosion... our house."
For a moment he simply stared at the blanket covering his lap.
Then another thought struck him.
A much worse one.
His head snapped toward Wanda.
"Mama?"
His voice sounded small.
"Papa?"
Wanda's expression immediately fell.
Slowly, she shook her head.
Pietro felt something twist painfully inside his chest.
The answer hit harder than any physical blow.
His parents were gone.
Across from him, Wanda lowered her head and sniffed quietly. Tears began forming in her eyes.
Pietro clenched his jaw.
Anger surged through him.
Anger at the bombs.
Anger at the war.
Anger at whoever had done this.
Anger at the unfairness of it all.
But looking at Wanda's trembling shoulders, he forced himself to swallow it.
His sister needed him.
Moving closer, he wrapped his arms around her.
Wanda immediately buried her face against his shoulder.
Pietro gently patted her back.
For the first time in his life, he truly understood that it was now his responsibility to protect her.
And he would do whatever was necessary.
The twins remained like that for several moments before three knocks sounded from beyond the closed double doors.
Both of them looked up simultaneously.
A moment later the doors opened.
The strange young man from the previous night stood in the doorway.
He studied them briefly before offering a small smile.
"Good morning."
His voice was calm and reassuring.
"I know this is not the best time... but it is time for breakfast. And given everything that the two of you have been through for the last 12 hours, it is highly recommended that you get some good food in you."
A hint of amusement entered his expression.
"To that end—"
He snapped his fingers.
Pietro nearly fell off the bed.
Two complete sets of children's clothing came flying through the open doorway.
They floated through the air as though carried by invisible hands before settling neatly at the foot of the bed.
Pietro stared.
The young man either didn't notice or pretended not to.
"I have procured these clothes for you. Please freshen up in the washroom over there."
He pointed toward a nearby doorway.
"Feel free to use the toiletries provided by the hotel. Don't worry about the bed. House-keeping will take care of that."
His smile returned.
"I'll be in the living room. Once you are both dressed, we can make our way to breakfast. Okay?"
He looked at them expectantly.
Wanda gave him a small nod.
Ben smiled.
"Excellent. I'll leave you to it then."
With a final nod, he stepped back through the doorway, leaving the double doors slightly ajar behind him.
The room remained silent for several seconds.
Finally Pietro turned toward Wanda.
"Who is that?"
"He said his name was Benjamin," said Wanda. "He is the one who saved us after our house was destroyed."
Pietro frowned.
Wanda got out of the bed and went to the bathroom.
After she came out, Pietro went inside and took care of his morning ablutions.
The washroom alone was larger than some rooms in their apartment building. By the time he emerged several minutes later, he looked thoroughly bewildered.
"Where are we?" asked Pietro in wonder, having just come out of the luxurious washroom.
"We are in a hotel," said Wanda, picking up a toothbrush from the holder near the basin. "In London," she added.
Pietro stared at her.
"That's not possible."
Yet despite saying the words, he didn't argue.
Instead, he picked up another toothbrush from the holder and applied some toothpaste on it.
"How did we get here?" he asked.
Wanda's eyes immediately lit up.
Taking out the toothbrush from her mouth, she said,
"Oh Pietro, you are not going to believe this! One moment we were in our home. Then there was this blue glowing circle, and as we went through it, we were in this garden! And then we came to this hotel!"
Pietro looked at the excited Wanda dubiously.
"Sure," he said doubtfully at last.
Wanda rolled her eyes.
After they were done washing their mouths and cleaning their hands and faces, the twins came back to the bedroom.
They looked at the clothes lying on the bed for a moment before turning their backs to each other.
Discarding their torn and soot-covered clothes, they started wearing the new hooded jumpers, jackets and jeans.
The fresh clothes felt strange after everything that had happened.
"What happened last night?" Pietro asked, pulling the jumper over his head. "I remember trying to pull you under the bed...but nothing after that."
Wanda slowly put on the jacket over her jumper.
"You were knocked out by a falling stone from above," Wanda said. "I was so worried. There was so much blood. And then another bomb landed right in front of where we were."
Pietro immediately turned around.
"Really?"
Wanda nodded.
"Then the strangest thing happened," said Wanda. "A door appeared in the middle of our house, and he came out."
She gestured toward the living room with her head.
"I don't know how, but he destroyed the bomb. He also fixed the wound on your head, and brought us here."
Pietro instinctively touched his forehead.
There wasn't even a scar.
Slowly, his eyes shifted toward the slightly open double doors beyond which sat the strange man who had seemingly saved them.
"Come on," Pietro said, holding out his hand to Wanda.
Wanda took his hand and, pushing open the double doors, the twins walked into the living room.
Ben was sitting on the sofa, writing with a pencil in a small diary in his hand.
He looked up as they entered.
With a smile, he shut the diary and somehow, both pencil and journal disappeared from his hands.
Pietro blinked.
"Perfect," he said, standing up. "Shall we?"
The three of them came out of the suite and started walking along the hallway.
Neither Pietro nor Wanda had spent much time in places like this before, and it showed.
Their heads turned constantly.
The hallway alone looked more luxurious than any building they had ever lived in. Thick carpets covered the floor. Brass fixtures gleamed beneath elegant lighting. Paintings hung along the walls.
The lift carried them down to the ground floor.
The twins silently watched the lobby which stretched before them in polished marble and warm gold light. Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. Guests moved through the space carrying briefcases and shopping bags while staff glided between them with practiced professionalism.
The Dalloway Terrace was even more impressive.
It sat tucked behind the main restaurant like a hidden greenhouse in the middle of Bloomsbury, feeling less like a dining room and more like a garden enclosed beneath glass.
Both Wanda and Pietro couldn't help but stare.
A hostess greeted them near the entrance.
"Good morning, sir. Table for three?" she asked Benjamin.
"Yes. And preferably a corner one, please," he replied.
"Of course," she smiled. "This way."
She led them toward a small corner table beside the windows.
Wanda and Pietro sat down beside each other, looking up at the ceiling draped with trailing plants and soft lantern-style lighting. Outside, a light drizzle continued to fall steadily over the courtyard stones.
A waiter appeared almost immediately.
"Coffee, sir?" he asked.
"Yes, please," said Benjamin. "And two glasses of milk for the children, some toast, bacon, omelette, fruit and whatever pastries are fresh today. And a full English breakfast platter for me."
"Very good, sir," said the waiter, walking away.
A few minutes later the food arrived.
The smell alone was enough to improve the twins' moods, if only slightly.
After the first few minutes of quiet eating, Benjamin said,
"So, now that we are not running on fumes anymore, I can see that you both have questions."
He took a sip of coffee.
"Go ahead. Ask them."
Wanda and Pietro looked at each other.
Then Pietro asked,
"Who are you?"
Ben nodded.
"As I told your sister last night, my name is Benjamin Carter, 4th year student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Witchcraft?" Wanda said.
"Wizardry? Like Magic?" Pietro said.
Ben smiled.
"Exactly."
Pietro frowned.
"You are too young to be a wizard."
Ben smiled and snapped his fingers.
He now appeared to have a bushy white beard and a tall pointed hat above his head filled with white hair. He was dressed in a worn out cloak and had a white staff in his hand.
"How about now?"
Wanda and Pietro were shocked.
They stared at him.
Then looked around.
No one else seemed to take notice.
"Relax," said Ben.
He snapped his fingers.
The illusion broke and they could see him as his usual self again.
"I set up a Notice-me-not charm around us," he said. "No one is going to bother us, or pay us much attention."
The twins seemed to take a moment.
Then Wanda said,
"So...you are a wizard?"
"Wizard-in-training," Ben corrected her. "Hogwarts curriculum stretches across seven years, although you can technically leave after the first five. I'm thinking of doing that, by the way," he said.
"Why were you at our house?" asked Pietro.
Ben took a sip of coffee.
"Not to toot my own horn, but I am not just good at casting spells. I am also a decent craftsman."
The twins listened carefully.
"Sometime ago, I created a conceptual artefact — I call it the Anywhere Door — that can lock on to people across the omniverse who need help, who deserve help, and come to their aid."
"I think I'm right in believing — that just before I showed up, you wished for someone to help you?"
Wanda nodded her head.
"Well, there you have it," said Ben. "Your sister wished for help and my Anywhere Door was able to lock on to your location and bring me to your world."
The Maximoff twins considered his words for a moment.
Then Wanda looked up sharply at Ben.
"Wait! What do you mean — bring you to our world?"
Ben smiled.
"As strange as it might seem, I am not actually from your world. I come from another planet, much like this one, filled with people, but a different one nonetheless."
"Are you an alien?" asked Pietro.
Ben considered it for a moment.
"Well, I was definitely born human, and both my parents are human. But then, I underwent a magical ritual that evolved me beyond the limits of humanity. I don't know exactly what I am anymore...so, yes, I suppose I could be considered an alien in the traditional sense."
"Now, enough about me," said Ben. "Let's talk about you. Tell me, do you have any relatives that can look after you?"
Wanda and Pietro looked at each other, then sadly shook their heads.
"Okay," Ben said gently. "Well the good news is, while the two of you were asleep, I made a new friend," he said. "A very nice lady, who was kind enough to invite us over to her place. After we finish breakfast, we will be going there and staying for a few days while I take care of some things."
"Where are we going?" asked Wanda.
Ben smiled.
"To Kathmandu, Nepal. In the valley of the mighty Himalayas, where the mystical guardians of Earth take their first uncertain steps."
---
12:15 PM, 31st March 1999
Kamar-Taj
One moment Wanda and Pietro had been sitting in the comfort of the Bloomsbury Hotel, looking through rain-speckled windows at London's gray skies and steady drizzle.
The next, they were standing beneath a brilliant blue sky.
Cold mountain air washed over them as they stepped through the glowing blue portal. The sudden change was so dramatic that both twins instinctively stopped walking.
Behind them, the circular portal shimmered softly, framing a view of the hotel dining room they had left only seconds earlier. Then the image collapsed inward and vanished.
Pietro stared.
Wanda stared.
Neither knew where to look first.
They stood in a wide stone courtyard surrounded by ancient-looking buildings whose architecture was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Colorful prayer flags fluttered gently overhead, their bright colors dancing in the mountain breeze.
Gone were London's crowded streets and endless rows of brick buildings.
Gone were the clouds and rain.
Here the sun shone brightly overhead, warming the stone beneath their feet despite the chill in the air. The breeze carried scents entirely unfamiliar to them—incense, wood smoke, and something else that reminded Wanda faintly of pine forests.
Beyond the surrounding rooftops rose an even more astonishing sight.
Towering above everything else in the distance stood enormous snow-capped mountains.
The Himalayas.
Their white peaks gleamed beneath the sunlight like something out of a storybook.
Pietro looked from the disappearing portal to Ben in open disbelief.
Ben merely smiled.
"Come along. We're just a few minutes walk from our destination."
He began walking.
"Make sure you don't fall behind. It's easy to get lost around here."
The twins hurried after him.
The streets surrounding the courtyard proved far busier than either had expected. Merchants moved between stalls selling fruits, fabrics, and spices. Monks walked calmly through the crowds. Locals carried baskets and bundles while speaking in languages neither twin recognized.
Pietro and Wanda struggled to keep pace with Ben while simultaneously trying to absorb everything around them.
After several minutes of walking, Ben finally stopped.
The twins looked up.
Before them stood a rather unremarkable wooden door set into a wall of weathered red bricks.
The wall itself appeared old and poorly maintained. Compared to the wonders they had seen during the walk, it looked distinctly unimpressive.
"Here we are," said Ben.
Pietro frowned.
"Are you sure this is the right place?"
After spending the night in a luxury London hotel, this place felt like a considerable downgrade.
Ben looked at the door thoughtfully.
"Pretty sure," he said with a smile. "But just in case, let's check, shall we?"
He stepped forward and knocked.
Several seconds passed.
Then the door opened.
A man dressed in dark robes stood on the other side.
"Good afternoon," said Ben. "I am Benjamin Carter. I believe we're expected?"
The robed man inclined his head.
Without a word he stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.
Ben nodded.
"Let's go."
The three of them passed through the doorway.
Both Wanda and Pietro immediately stopped.
The difference between the exterior and interior was staggering.
Beyond the humble entrance stretched a vast compound of ancient stone buildings, courtyards, towers, and covered walkways. Staircases wound upward toward higher levels. Beautiful gardens occupied sheltered corners. Fountains trickled quietly nearby.
People moved throughout the complex carrying books, scrolls, training equipment, and other items whose purpose wasn't immediately obvious.
The place felt ancient. Peaceful.
Wanda stared around in wonder.
"Are they monks?"
She had just noticed another robed man passing nearby.
Ben glanced toward him.
"Some," he replied. "Different people come here for different reasons. Most come seeking peace. Others come looking for healing. And yet others come searching for purpose."
The twins considered that answer as they continued walking deeper into the compound.
Eventually they arrived at a large central courtyard.
Here the atmosphere changed noticeably.
Dozens of people were training.
Some stood in pairs practicing hand-to-hand combat beneath the watchful eyes of instructors. Others made strange circular gestures with their hands that occasionally produced brief showers of golden sparks.
One young man succeeded in opening a small glowing portal before losing concentration and causing it to collapse immediately.
Nearby, an elderly master sat reading while several books floated lazily around him.
Wanda and Pietro watched everything with fascinated silence.
Neither noticed the approaching woman until she spoke.
"Thank you, Master Bashir."
The calm voice caused both twins to turn.
A bald woman dressed in simple yellow robes approached them.
"I will take it from here."
The man who had escorted them bowed respectfully before departing.
The woman turned toward Ben.
"Ancient One," Ben said, inclining his head.
"Mr Carter," the woman replied with a nod.
Then she looked toward the twins. There was something comforting about her expression. Something gentle.
"Welcome to Kamar-Taj."
Her voice was warm.
"Allow me to show you where you will be staying."
The group resumed walking.
Once again Wanda and Pietro found themselves trying to take in everything at once.
Their heads remained on a constant swivel. Even Ben seemed interested in observing the monastery around him.
"What is this place?" Wanda finally asked.
"This place, young Wanda, is a monastery."
She paused briefly.
"But it is also home to those who protect this world."
Pietro frowned.
"From what?"
The Ancient One answered without missing a beat.
"Aliens. Demons. Interdimensional horrors. Angry gods. Reality-destroying entities."
The twins stared at her.
"You're joking," said Pietro.
A smile touched the Ancient One's lips.
"Believe me, I wish I was."
The twins exchanged uncertain looks.
After another few steps, Wanda leaned slightly closer to Ben.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Aren't you an alien too?"
Ben looked scandalized.
"Yes, but I'm the fun kind."
The Ancient One chuckled softly.
"We keep a close watch on those as well."
For the first time since arriving at Kamar-Taj, Wanda laughed.
It was only a small laugh. But it was there.
Eventually they arrived at a quieter section of the monastery. A pair of adjacent rooms stood waiting near the end of a covered walkway overlooking one of the inner courtyards.
The Ancient One gestured toward them.
"You will be staying here for the duration of your visit."
Wanda and Pietro immediately moved forward to investigate.
The rooms were simple compared to the Bloomsbury Hotel, but clean and comfortable. Sunlight streamed through open windows. Fresh bedding covered the beds. Shelves lined one wall.
"There is much to see," the Ancient One continued, watching the twins explore. "And I suspect much to learn."
As Wanda and Pietro disappeared inside to examine their temporary home, Ben remained behind with the Ancient One.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Ben broke the silence.
"Thank you for letting them stay here."
The Ancient One nodded.
Her gaze remained fixed upon the two children.
"They need peace."
There was no disagreement in Ben's expression.
The Ancient One finally looked toward him.
"Do you think they will find it here?"
He looked at the twins.
Inside the room, Wanda was standing by the window looking out across the monastery while Pietro inspected a nearby bookshelf.
Ben slowly exhaled.
"Perhaps," he hoped quietly. "We'll see."